4, September 2021
SOBA UK Exco says “Thank You Electorate” 0
SOBA UK exco have said a big thank you to the Sasse Old Boys electorate for the second term given them to serve. Below are the warm words made public by SOBA UK secretariat.
Dear Members,
Thank You – An Acceptance Statement
We are greatly humbled by the resounding endorsement from you the electorate for this second mandate you have given us to continue to serve SOBA UK. We remark that these voting results represent a record achievement for SOBA UK as never before has any candidate in the history of the association received up to 75 votes for any given position. We recognise this as how far our association has come.
Two years ago, when we took over the reigns of SOBA UK, you put your trust in us to steer the ship onwards. We in turn as a team discovered and accentuated each of our strengths to deliver on the promises made in 2019. That resulted in the change that our association has experienced in the last two years. We have been able to transform the engagement of our membership and our community to greater heights in that time. We truly took significant strides to build a SOBA UK that became Bigger, Brighter and Best-in-Class.
This time, we ran our campaign under the banner of delivering a Stronger, Smarter, Prouder SOBA UK. We plan to improve on the bond within our brotherhood and introduce initiatives like a mentorship scheme; to make our association smarter in its use of technology and to bring the association’s information closer to its members; and we plan to play a bigger role in our community here in the UK as well contribute towards the betterment of the students of Sasse College. The task ahead won’t be easy but we know with your support we will meet the challenges with increased confidence.
Our association, SOBA UK, has had challenges in recent years and we have taken steps towards building bridges. Whilst we recognise the process of reconciliation is a long one, we remain hopeful for a future for SOBA UK where our brand is associated with harmony and where we reclaim our place as the beacon for all within our community to follow. We will face up to the opportunity of maintaining the standards we are known for whilst remaining accommodating of our divergent views and adapting to reflect our combined aspirations. This association has turned crisis in the past into massive growth.
We are confident that we have in our DNA to do the same with every bump in the road ahead and we will. The future is pregnant with possibilities for this esteemed association. We are about to commence a new membership registration period and thereafter, we look forward to the return of our annual residential convention in October. It will be a chance to reconnect again as brothers after the challenging 18-months with the pandemic. We look forward to welcoming you, your families and your guests to the Hilton at St Georges Park. Conventions are a good opportunity to further our brand and raise money for causes that this association cares about. We are going to be re-targeting our fundraising efforts towards helping students back at Sasse College in various aspects such as the School Library. We look forward to the community’s support in realising this objective.
The elections season has come to a close and we wouldn’t have gotten to this point without the meticulous management of the process by our Patrons and the added confidence given by the work of our Elections Observers. We remain greatly indebted for their service to this association. Their combined efforts have shown that SOBA UK has attained the model for suffrage for any similar group to emulate; a model that reflects and embodies the true meaning of One Man, One Vote. We should be proud.
May St Joseph ever near to guide us!
Kind regards,
Franklin Egbe President, Atem Akoh-Arrey Vice President, Asmara Eban Secretary General
On behalf of Benedict Tchantcheu, Executive Treasurer Bah Kobi Jones, Financial Secretary Fritz Esambi Publicity Officer Ralph Mbua Deputy Secretary Genera
16, September 2021
One million Nigerian children to miss school due to threat of violence 0
One million Nigerian children will likely stay away from school because of the threat of violence after a series of mass kidnappings and attacks targeting students this year, the UN said on Wednesday.
More than 1,000 pupils have been snatched in mass abductions for ransom by criminal gangs in Nigeria’s northwest and central states since December with dozens still in captivity.
The UN children’s agency UNICEF said there had been 20 attacks on schools in Nigeria this year and more than 1,400 pupils were taken and 16 had died.
Most have been released after ransom negotiations, but only after weeks or months in captivity, often in appalling conditions in rural camps.
“Families and communities remain fearful of sending children back to their classrooms due to the spate of school attacks and student abductions,” UNICEF said in a statement.
More than 37 million Nigerian children are due to start the new school year this month, the agency said, while an estimated one million would likely not return.
Some state governments have temporarily closed up schools after kidnappings.
Northwest and central states have long struggled with tit-for-tat violence between nomadic herder and farmer communities who battle over land and water.
Attacks escalated with the emergence of heavily armed criminal gangs, known locally as bandits, who raid villages, steal cattle and kidnap for ransom.
Bandit gangs this year have targeted schools and colleges in Nigeria’s northwest, snatching pupils and taking them into forest hideouts while they negotiate payments.
Around 70 students abducted nearly a fortnight ago were freed this week in northwest Zamfara State, where the army has started an offensive against bandit kidnap gangs.
Source: AFP